Traditional 3D printing systems typically user layer-by-layer construction to build up an object. A 3D printing system typically breaks the object down into 2D slices and lays them down, one layer at a time. If the material is a UV or thermoset material, the system will cure the slices prior to laying down the next slices.
These systems may involve multi-jet modeling systems that print UV polymers out of an inkjet printhead. The curing lamp typically follows the print head in the print direction in one axis. Since the system consistently moves along a single axis, fixing the print heads in location to the UV curing lamp to get a consistent cure becomes a relatively simple task, regardless of the device under construction.
A new class of printers have emerged that use 6-axis robots to deposit material in space. These machines have the capability of printing non-planar layers, which can increase the efficiency of the build and enable greater functionality of the deposition process. These systems usually work in one of two ways. In one approach, they cure along the print axis, so from the perspective of the deposition head the motion essentially looks one dimensional. Other systems exist that print in complete 3D space, where the printing path can follow any path in 3D dimensions. These systems have typically been limited to material systems in which the material solidifies without the need for additional input energy, which has restricted the material set significantly.
The ability to use 6-axis additive manufacturing systems with UV and thermoset materials, which require outside energy to solidify, would have many uses. It also useful to be able to control when the material cures. Ideally the material would cure slightly after is has been deposited on the substrate. This allows the material to merge and bond to the adjacent layers and increase the overall mechanical strength of the part.